Emmerdale viewers were left deeply concerned after a chilling scene aired on Friday night, which appeared to show fan favourite Victoria Sugden being drugged by her own brother, the murderous John Sugden.
A Sinister Home Invasion
In the latest instalment of the long-running ITV soap, a terrified Victoria, played by Isabel Hodgins, returned home to find John had broken into her house. The evil medic, portrayed by Oliver Farnworth, was waiting for her in the kitchen, greeting her with a simple, "Hello, sis."
After grabbing hold of his protesting sister, John claimed he had no intention of hurting her. Victoria, fearing for her young son Harry who was upstairs, begged John to leave the boy alone. John responded, "How could you think such a thing?"
Victoria, with her hands raised, retorted: "Because you're a murderer!" John then launched into a defence of his actions, insisting, "I never meant to kill anyone, I swear." He pleaded that they were family and should not let anyone come between them.
The Terrifying Needle
The scene took a deeply worrying turn when John pulled out a syringe. As he advanced towards a petrified Victoria, he told her, "Please, don't be scared. This will not hurt a bit." The episode then cut away, leaving viewers completely in the dark about Victoria's fate.
This alarming incident is just the latest in a long line of heinous acts committed by John Sugden. Over the past year, his crimes include killing Nate Robinson, indirectly causing the death of Owen Michaels, and framing Owen for Nate's murder. He also previously drugged Chas Dingle and nearly killed both himself and his then-husband, Aaron Dingle.
Fan Theories and Crossover Hype
Reacting on social media, fans were quick to speculate about John's grand plan. Many believe he intends to flee the village with Victoria, Harry, and Aaron in tow, using his family as leverage to control Aaron.
One viewer wrote on X: "He has no problems hurting Vic & Harry if his plan fails and we know it does so the 4 of them will never be safe." Another questioned, "How many drugs does John just have with him? Seems to have a never ending supply."
The drama is widely seen as building towards the highly anticipated crossover with Coronation Street, titled 'Corriedale,' which is set to air as a one-hour special on Monday 5 January. Bosses have confirmed John will have a key role, though plot details remain tightly under wraps.
Some fans have expressed confusion, however, noting that actor Oliver Farnworth previously played Andy Carver in Coronation Street, a character who was killed by Pat Phelan.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Farnworth teased his character's return, stating John is driven back by "love" and "jealousy." He warned: "He feels like he has got far less to lose this time... we might see a slightly more dishevelled and unhinged side to John."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
